AP McCoy and Victoria Pendleton try polo – AP admits: ‘I chose the right career as a jockey’
AP McCoy was back in the saddle yesterday (9 May) to try his hand at polo.
The racing legend joined Victoria Pendleton and England rugby star Jonathan Joseph in a polo lesson as part of the Laureus King Power Polo Cup preview.
Tuition was given by King Power Foxes player Hugo Lewis — British Young Player of 2015.
AP enjoyed the session but said he thought he had “chosen the right career” in racing.
“I’ve spent my life around horses and today was a great experience, it was enjoyable to learn about the sport of polo and the skill required to compete at the highest level,” he said.
“I think I chose the right career as a jockey though!”
Laureus is a global organisation that aims to improve people’s lives through sport. It is made up of three branches — a world sports academy, “Sport for Good” and the Laureus World Sports Awards.
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The organisation’s first patron was Nelson Mandela.
“It’s a privilege to be here today to support the work of Laureus Sport for Good, something I’m passionate about,” added the 20-time champion jockey.
Since its inception, Laureus has raised more than €100m (£78.77m) for projects to improve the lives of young people.
Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist Victoria added: “I’m always looking to set myself new goals and challenge myself so learning polo was fun for me.
“I know how important the work Laureus Sport for Good does and it is an honour for me to be here to spread the message about the power sport has to improve the lives of young people around the world.”
Related articles:
- ‘Make the sacrifices, it’s worth it’: AP McCoy honoured with BBC award
- AP McCoy to help ex-racehorses find new careers
- Sir AP McCoy named as new Injured Jockeys Fund president
The Laureus King Power Polo Cup tournament, to be held on 16 June at Ham Polo Club in London, will raise funds for Fundación Laureus Argentina.
“This is a bit of a change from my usual Monday training session but learning from Hugo about polo has been amazing,” said Jonathan.
“The people who play the sport are incredibly talented.”
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.